Spring-platform for road-wagons



(No Model.)

0. W. SALADEE. SPRING PLATFORM FOR ROAD WAGONS.

. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

l I I n15 nomus warms co., worourua, msnmmu, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS \V. SALADEE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPRING-PLATFORM FOR ROAD-WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,861, datedSeptember 2, 1890.

Application filed May 29, 1890. Serial No. 353,683. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS \V. SALADEE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cleveland, State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Spring-Platforms for RoadWVagons, of whichthe following is a specification embodying my said invention, and thesame is specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention has for its object the short turning of the vehicle andthe improved construction and arrangement of the several partsconstituting the front and rear platforms adapted to support the body atopposite ends, all as hereinafter more fully described, and asrepresented in the annexed.

drawings. The front and rear platforms shown and described areindependent of each other, and either may be used to support one end ofthe body, while any other well-known means may be employed to supportthe opposite end.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the body-sillrepresenting the connection therewith of the inner ends of the front andrear spring-platforms, respectively. Fig. 2 is a detached plan view ofthe front platform. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rear platform. Fig. 4is a plan View of the upper plate of the fifth-wheel coupling seen inFigs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a detached plan View of the crossbar connectingthe springs and rearwardlyextended arm seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is adetached plan view of the front end of the lefthand spring seen in Fig.2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged end view of the rear axle in section, showing abox-loop connecting the end of the spring thereto. Fig. 8 is an enlargedend view of the axle in section, showing a boxloop connecting the springthereto suspended from a pivotal bearing instead of upon a slid ingbearing, as seen in Fig. '7.

g I proceed to the construction of the front spring-platform seen inFigs. 1 and 2 substantially as follows: The diagonally-arranged springsA A have their terminal ends connected to the axle and their inner endsunited by a cross-bar O and rearwardly supported upon bearings C and 0',preferably upon a longitudinal bar 0, having its rear end supported upona friction or roller bearing D,

and its forward end connected to the crossbar 0. Said friction or rollerbearing D rides upon a segmental plate or bar III, which latter issuspended by its opposite ends from the bottom of the body at suchrequisite point as will admit of placing and operating said bearing Dbetween the bottom of the body and said segment H. The outer ends ofsaid plate H are connected to the bottom of the side sills of the body,preferably by the intermediate spool J and bolt J passing through thesill of the body, the spool, and the end of said plate, as clearly seenin Fig. 1. For the purpose of supporting the center of saidsegment-plate 11 against the downward pressure of said bearing Dthereupon the bracket F is employed, having its rear end bolted to thebottom frame of the body and its front end bent down and secured to theunder side of said plate H, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. If preferred, thespools J may be omitted and the ends of the plate 11 be bent up andattached directly to the side sills of the body.

The longitudinal bar 0 is provided with ears 0, preferably integraltherewith, adapted to support the rear ends of the springs A A thereonby a bolt 0'. Both ends of this bar 0 are, in this instance, bent up,the rear end to take the roller D and the front end to unite with thecross-bar O. The D-plate E of the fifth-wheel is secured to the bottomof the body and its under face rests on the friction-plate E. Interposedbetween the latter and the cross-bar O is the bearing K, by which latterthe hang of the body in front is regulated according to the height givensaid bearing. The terminal ends of the springs may be secured to theunder side of the axle, as seen in Fig. 2. For the purpose of settingthe clips S S in a right-angle position to the axle and at the same timeomit piercing a hole through themain plate of the spring, as at S', Fig.2, a projecting car A is formed on the outer edge of the plate, throughwhich the inner clip-hole is pierced. (See Fig. 6).

In the rear springplatform, Fig. 3, substantially the same combinationof parts is employed, as shown and described in the front platform,omitting thefifth-wheel and roller.

A cross-bar 0, having a forwardly-extended arm P centrally connectedtherewith, serves to support the inner ends of the springsB B, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. Theouter ends of the bar 0 connect to the sidesills of thebody by bolts 1 and 2, and the forward end of the bar P isbent up and bolted to the center sillpiece of the body, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. A support T (see Fig. 1) is interposed between the bar 0and the body, whereby to regulate the hang of the latter in relation tothe ground according to the depth given said support.-

Springs that are obliquely extended from the bottom of the body to'theaxle and having the usual downward curvature tend to spread apart attheir terminal ends when depressed underthe weight imposed in thedirection of the arrow-points G G, Fig. 3. To provide for this tendencyand relieve the springs from the lateral strain it. imposes upon theirmain plate, I shall employ either a sliding box-loop B, substantially asseen in Fig. 7, or a swinging box-loop B, as seen in Fig. 8. In eithercase said loop is made a detachable head connecting one or both ends ofthe springs to the axle in such manner that either or both ends of saidsprings may spread apart at their attachment to said axle to any extentthe depression of the spring may require such movement.

In Figs. 3 and 7 the box-loop B is made to loosely fit and inclose threesides of the axle L, its lower ends terminating in bearings X. X, whichare secured to the face of the main plate A of the spring B on theinside of the axle by the clip R and in front by the bolt B. By thismethod of attaching said loopto the spring-plate I avoid piercing theusual clip-hole at the junction with the axle or loop X. As beforestated, this box-loop B is fitted to the axle loosely-that is, in such amanner that it and the'spring-plateAshall firmly clasp and inclose theaxle, yet admit of its sliding thereon, as and for the purpose alreadydescribed.

In Fig. 8 a bolt R passes through the top ends of the loop 13 and thehead R secured to the top face of the axle, while its base is clippedand bolted to the end of the springplate A, as at R and R. In this casethe ends of the springs are permitted to spread apart by swinging on thebolt R in place of sliding upon the axle, as in Fig. 7.

As before stated, one or both ends of these box-loops may be operated asdescribed, or, if preferred in any case, the one may be stationary andthe other operative on the axle in either or both of the platforms,Figs. 2 and In the latter case I prefer to secure the stationary end ofthe spring as per the attachment seen at A, Fig. 3, and in the frontplatform, Fig. 2, as at A, and the other end of the spring by either ofthe box-loops B seen in Figs. 7 and 8.

Without limiting my claims to the precise arrangement of the severalparts shown and described, I claim-- 1. The combination, in a frontspring-platform for road-wagons, of obliquely-extended springs A A,having their front ends attached to the axle, their rear portions.united by a cross-bar 0, connected to the bottom frame of the body by aking-bolt or other equivalent fifth-wheel device, a segment-plate H,rigidly secured to and suspended from the bottom of said body, and afriction or roller bearing D, secured to the terminal rear ends of saidsprings and adapted to ride upon the top surface of said segment-platewhen turning the vehicle to either hand, substantially as set forth.

2. In a front spring platform, the side springs A A, diagonally extendedfrom the bottom of the body to the axle, a cross-bar (3,-

uniting the springs near their innerends and connected to the bottom ofthe body by the king-bolt L, the arm 0, rearwardly ex tended from saidcross-bar and adapted. to support the rear ends of the springs, and afriction or roller bearing D, riding upon the top face of thesegment-plate H, the opposite ends of the latter being rigidly securedto and suspended from thebottom of the body, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The combination, in a rear spring-platform for road-wagons, of sidesprings obliquely extended from the bottom of the body and secured tothe axle at widely-separated points, the inner ends of said springsbeing maintained by the opposite ends of the cross-bar O, and alongitudinally-arranged central arm P, connected to said cross-bar andforwardly extended to form the upturned bracket 0, whereby to secure thelatter to the bottom frame of the body, substantially as shown.

and described.

4. The combination, in a rear spring-platform of the characterdescribed, of side springs extending from the bottom of the body andsecured to the axle at widely-separated points,

the inner ends of said springs being supported by the cross-bar O andforwardly-extended arm P, the opposite ends of said cross-bar beingsecured to the bottom frame or sills of said body and having a support Tinterposed between the bar and said bottom frame of the body, whereby toregulate the hang of the latter in relation to the ground, substantiallyJ. A. GRAIN, J. W. I-IENNEY.

I have signed this

